The Power of Love

Today is celebrated as the day of love, so happy Valentine's day to you!!

Love is a source of power. According to the Word, Love is the greatest gift of all. Those of us who love others, even the people who give you a hard time and may even put you down...love them any way. You read that and think, "Yeah Debbie. How do you love people who don't deserve your love and you come out better for it?" Truth be told..I try but sometimes fail.

It takes more energy to hate. It takes focus off of what is important in life if you take time not to love. When you love others, you forgive them what they do even though they don't deserve it. This way, you're not focused on the bad they did to you, because I guarantee they aren't.

A believer sometimes wonders why God isn't working in their lives or answering their prayers. If that's you, stop and think...Am I loving others? The Word tells us faith works by love...and without faith its impossible to please God. And God tells us to love. Jesus says its the most important command of all, first to love God with all your heart and all your soul and then to love others. Sounds like love is the answer.

So many of us go to church and are active. We are so busy doing at the church, serving God--but are we serving people? Loving people? As believers we are to imitate Jesus...and He served and loved others. Take a moment and look around at the hurting. Sure we can't help everyone. We don't have the money to fix every ones problems. But sometimes taking time to give some one a smile, or a word of encouragement, using love as the base of what you say or do, can make that persons day. It may not always work -- but its better to try. Love is free...give it to others around you.

Just yesterday we stopped at a place of business to pick up tickets to go see The Harlem Globe Trotters. There was a lady behind the wall at the ticket center that had the biggest frown on her face. I was determined to show her love. I smiled and said good morning. Tried to be pleasant to her with small talk. She merely stared at me and continued to frown. Okay. So that didn't work. I then tried to make sure I was pleasant in the transaction of our business hoping to make her day more pleasant. In the end when all was said and done, she managed to help me lose my smile, my joy, with her actions in fact. And in the end as I was walking away I can't remember what I said but I was grumbling. My husband told me to let it go. Then he reminded me we never know what that other person is going through that makes them act so unkind. He was right. Why did I lose my love? I gave her the power of killing the joy in me and it took several minutes of silent prayer and asking forgiveness to get joy back into my heart. I failed. But who knows if I hadn't lost it at the end I might would have planted a seed of love. I pray next time I don't fail, but in the meantime, whatever was wrong with her, I prayed for her. God's love is greater than any love I could try to share. But I won't give up. I hope you don't either.

What it boils down to is it's better to love...to give love, to walk in love, and of course receive love. So enjoy your day. Keep the love of Christ alive in you by giving it to others.

Happy LOVE day!!